Observed Signal · Apr 12, 2022 · Product Launch · Source: CMSWire · Impact: 2/5 · Sentiment: Positive
Elisa Deploys Intelligent Virtual Agent Annika for Customer Service
Intelligent virtual agents (IVAs) are AI-powered, NLP-based conversational robots that go beyond basic chatbots in customer service. The article uses Finnish telecom Elisa as a case study: after merging with Starman in 2017 and facing call volume spikes during COVID-19, Elisa deployed an IVA named Annika, which handled 45% of inbound calls and fully resolved 20% of them. IVAs offer 24/7 support, lower costs, compliance adherence, and better customer satisfaction, according to cited vendor data from IBM, Tidio, and Five9. However, the article notes IVAs cannot truly reason or make human-like moral decisions. Companies such as HDFC Bank, BirdEye, and Five9 are referenced as market players. The guide also advises when an IVA is a good fit and recommends integrating it into existing contact center systems.
Informative guide on IVAs in customer service with an Elisa case study; relevant to AI and CX technology but not a major industry shift or platform release.
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Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- Finnish telecom Elisa replaced its functional chatbot with an IVA named Annika.
- Elisa's IVA handled 45% of all inbound calls and fully resolved 20% of them.
- Annika could converse on more than 70 different topics.
- IBM reported that business usage of IVAs grew by 75% during the COVID-19 shutdown.
- A 2022 Tidio survey found that 62% of customers prefer speaking to an IVA over a human.
Connected Companies & Entities
4 Entities mapped“That feature was particularly useful during the COVID-19 shutdown, when business usage of IVAs grew by 75%, according to IBM....”
“A 2022 survey from Tidio revealed that 62% of customers prefer speaking to an IVA over a human....”
“Here’s how Ladd Wimmer, Enterprise Solution Consultant at Five9, answers that question....”
“The best available to date are market players (like customer experience platform BirdEye) that experiment with sentiment analysis....”
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